Israeli Writing Against Itself: The Clash of Hellenism and Judaism in Modern Israeli Narrative

This comprehensive critique explores the relevancy of old discourses for contemporary narratives in ten Israeli novels. How the theory of deconstruction affects the future of a nation as presented in aspects of these literary texts is the focus of this book. The texts represent the meeting of ancient lore and modern narrative, as well as the conflict between a demanding past and the threat implied in an open future. The fragmentary quality of Israeli fiction denies the guarantee of unity and contravenes a fixed interpretative contextual discourse. The major tensions that call for a repositioning of critical standpoints underlie the textual contradictions that pose existential crises for their protagonists and an exciting challenge for the reader.